Mind-Reading Wearable Tech Available In The Market!

Well folks, in case you’re unaware, wearable technology is progressing so rapidly that you’ll be able to purse your fantasy as a Jedi knight or a Sith Warlord very soon.

Recently, Emotiv, a neuroengineering company, has created a wireless EEG (Electroencephalography) device that magically puts your thoughts into action.

We’ll save you some time and explain what EEG is all about. Basically in EEG, electrical activity along the scalp is recorded. EEG usually involves measuring voltage fluctuations resulting from ionic current flows within the neurons of the brain.

So how does the device work? Quite simply, all it does is scan your brain for signals, which are then transmitted over to a brain-computer interface to decipher emotions, interests and the user’s thought process.

The tech firm has created two variants of the technology called Emotiv EPOC and Emotiv EEG. However, one thing is for certain, both devices use the same technology which the company claims has been specifically designed for gaming, computer interaction and other amzing control applications. (Hint: Oculus Rift?)

The Emotiv EPOC employs 14 sensors to hack into your brain to sense your thoughts, feelings and expressions in real time. It has the ability to connect wirelessly and can run on a wide variety of operating systems.

Whereas the Emotiv EEG is a high fidelity, multi-channel, wireless portable EEG system, which comes with all the benefits of EPOC as well as access to raw EEG data. This variant was designed for research purposes, which can be carried out after purchasing a license and using its Software Development Kit (SDK).

The device is powered by a lithium-ion battery, and is capable of providing twelve hours of non stop mind-reading action.

The technology behind the devices can detect brain activity and interpret it in three main ways, which are known as suites by the company.

1) Expressiv™ Suite
This method involves sensing the user’s brains waves to interpret his/her facial expressions in real-time. Such a feature can be incorporated in MMORPGs like WOW to bring characters to life. When a user smiles, their avatar can mimic the expression, even before they are aware of their own feelings.

2) Affectiv™ Suite
This technique involves analyzing the brain waves to monitor the user’s emotional state in real-time. Similar to the Expressiv™ Suite, it can be used for gaming purposes to add an extra dimension to the whole experience, such as dynamically altering the in-game music, scene lighting, game difficulty, and numerous other effects based on the user’s brain waves.

3) Cognitiv™ Suite
This method relies on making the user’s conscious thoughts and intentions into reality. Users will have the power to manipulate virtual objects around them just by thinking.

To cut to the chase, the applications of this technology are immense. Apart from gaming, it can be tweaked for medical purposes as well. We’re really excited about getting this piece of kit, which is priced at $300 for the EPOC headset and $750 for the EEG headset.